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Stryker ceremony to be public

Jul-19-2005 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

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Editor's Note: Due to incorrect information in a Monday story, portions of the following story are repeated in an effort to avoid further confusion.
Staff Report

The Army said Monday that its public affairs office passed along erroneous information about the deployment ceremony for the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team that is deploying next month for Iraq.

The formal ceremony will be open to the public and officials will be anticipating a large turnout.

Earlier information had the ceremony closed to the public. "We just had the wrong information," said Maj. Kirk Gohlke with U.S. Army Alaska. "It's unfortunate."

The ceremony takes place on July 28 at 2 p.m. where Hangar 6 used to stand on Fort Wainwright.

Gohlke said Monday that people should plan to arrive early to obtain a visitor's pass at the front gate.

"I would expect the lines to be quite long," Gohlke said.

Visitors will need to present their vehicle registration, proof of insurance and a valid drivers license to gain entry to the fort.

The ceremony will be approximately an hour to an hour-and-half long. In addition to the public, the roughly 3,800 member brigade, which will stand in formation for the ceremony, approximately 4,000 family members and invited guests will attend.

The brigade will begin deploying to Iraq in August in the biggest Army deployment out of Alaska since Vietnam.

The ceremony originally was slated to take place at the Carlson Center, but was moved to the base for logistical reasons, according to public affairs officer Linda Douglass.

The brigade will begin departing for Iraq in early August. Most of the brigade had leave time in July and spent time completing final preparations for deployment.[...]


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